Bank protection device



June 27, 1933. C;F H RQHRlG y 1,915,698

BANK PROTECTION DEVICE Filed March 2, 1951 2' sheets-,smet 1 /Z v ZZ fn",

June 27, 1933. C; H, ROHRIG 1,915,698

BANK PROTECTION DEVICE Y Filed March 2, 1931 v 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented June 27, 1933 I PATENT OFFICE cHARLEs n. Ronnie, or OELWEIN, IOWA BANK PROTECTION DEVlGE Application mea March 2, 1931 serial No. 519,490. v

The object of my invention is to provide a bank protectionl device which is simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture'.

Further, it is my object to provide a bank,

More particularly, it my objectto provide lowerable shield plates above each cash,-v

iers or tellers window and raisable shield plates below the counters thereof with a latch mechanismto retain the shield plates in such positions and being releasable manually, 4pneumatically, *electromagnetically or in some similar manner. t 4

"A further object is to provide a rock shaft with latches .on it for coaction with each `shield plate to vretain it in normal position whereupon lthe rock shaft, when jrocked by manipulation of a control device inany cage, will relea'se all the -shield plates connected with the protection system to guard against shots fired from the guns of bandits andh'oldupmen.. 14;,

ylNith these and other objects *in viewv my invention-consists in the, construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are. attained, as hereinafter more fullyV set forth, pointed out inV my claims, and illustrated* in the accompanying drawings, in which: i'

' Figure 1 is an inside elevation of two cashiersv or tellers cages showing a partitionbetween them in section and illustrating my bank protection device applied to the cages and in normal position.

Figure 2 is asimilar view `tion.,`.` jFigureB is an enlarged Vvertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure lljshowing the latch for theraisable shield plate.

yguides to reduce frictionin'the the shield plates.

showing the shield .plates in released or shielding posi-` Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 4 4 o-f Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional View onl the line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing the latch for the 55 lowerable shield plate. v

Figure 6 is a view of a pneumatically operated system for releasing the shield plates. Figure 7 is a detailed sectionaly View on the line 7 '7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8- is a semi-diagrammatic view showing an electrically loperated latch release. f l t On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a floor line andthe numeral 12 to indicate a ceiling line. A partition is shown at 14 between two tellers or cashiers cages anda counterl is indicatedat 16.- VVindov'vopen-Y ings 18 are provided Vabove the counter in. each' tellers compartment. v Ordinarily drawers 2O are slidably mounted -below the counters 16. v4, l I 'The'purpose" of my invention is to provide a shield plate type of protectionfor tellers and cashiers compartments in banks and for any compartment in which `valuables are kept and'which are therefore subject to attack from holdup men. Specifically, my 1nvention includes lowerable shield plates 22 Y above thev window openings 18 and raisable shieldy plates 24 between the window openings and mounted below the counter 16.

Guides 26 are provided for the shield plates 22 and guides 28 are provided for the 8 shield plates 24. These guides are of any desiredl grooved type, such as shown in Figure 4 and .the shield plates are preferably provided .with rollers 30 which roll in the The .shield plates 22 and eine ma@ .of sheet metal of substantial weight to resist operation of l.

bullets from revolvers yand other firearms. l

'The lowerable shield plates 227 of course,

drop by gravity and may be assisted by additional weights 32 if desired or by springs. Each weight 32 is hung on a U-shaped bar 34 the ends of which are connected with a cross bar 36. Rods 38 extend upwardly from the cross bar 36 and connect with the lower ends of the shield plates 22.

The rods 38 extend through openings 40 in the counter 16.

The shield plates 24 are constrained toward raised position by means of springs 42, each having an end connected with an eye 44 on a shield plate 24 and its other end connected with a stationary eye 46 on the undersurface of the counter 16. The shield plates 24 are latched in lowered position by latch lugs 48 connected with a rock shaft 50. latch lugs 48 coact with rollers 52'journalled on the shield plates 24.

The rock shaft 50 is supported in suitable bearings 54 on the undersurface of the counter 16. i The rock shaft 50 may be rocked by a manually operated handle 56 connected by a link 58 with the rock shaft.v Downward pressure on the handle 56 will swing the latch lugs 48 in the direction of the arrow 60 (see Figure 8) so that the shield plates 24 will be raised by the springs 42. The counter 16 is provided withl ya slot 62 through which the shield plates 24 may be extended to the position shown in Figure 2 by the springs 42 when the latches 48 are released.

The shield plates 22 are latched in raised position by latch hooks 64 also mounted on the rock shaft 50 and best shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. Thevlatch hooks 64 en'- gage under rollers 66 mounted on the cross bars 36 of the rods 38.

The

Practical operation In the operation of my bank protection device as thus far described, the handle 56 in any one of the cashiers or tellers cages (there usually being provided a considerable number of them side by side) may be pushed downwardly for rocking the rock shaft Yand thereby releasing all `the latches 48 and the latch hooks 64. As a result of such unlatching, the shield plates 22 are lowered by gravity and the shield plates 24 are raised by the springs 42.

Then they assume thel position shown in Figure 2 to act as a complete shield across the front of the entire system ofcages and in such position are effective against gun-re.

Instead of thelever 56, push buttons in thefloor may be operatively connected with the rock shaft 50 for rocking it when such push buttons are pushed by the foot of any one of the tellers or cashiers. As an alternative means of operating the latches a pneumatic system, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, may be provided. This may consist of a lever 68 on the rock shaft 50v constrained by a spring 70 toward unlatched position and held by fluid pressure in a latched position. I have shown adiaphragm 72 acting on a push rod 74 for retaining the lever 68 in latched position. The diaphragm 72 is held in such position by fluid pressure, such as compressed air or gas or liquid under pressure.

Such fluid pressure may be supplied from a tank 76 into which it may be originally introduced through a fitting 78. By means of a control valve 80, the pressure in the pipe line 82 may be regulated as desired, regardless of the pressure in the tank 76. .For instance, eighty or ninety pounds pressure might be introduced into the tank 76, but only fifteen or twenty pounds pressure maintained in the pipe line 82 by opening the valve 8O until the pressure reaches such valve and then closing it.

The pipe line 82 is in this manner chargedv with fluid pressure for maintaining the parts in the position shown in Figure 7. By means of release valves 84 which would releasecompressed air to atmosphere or fluid to asewer, for instance, the rock shaft 50 may be rocked by the spring whenever any of the .valves 84 are open. f

As shown in Figure 8, the rock shaft ,50 may be retained in latched position by a spring 86. It may be moved to unlatched position by a solenoid 88 electromagnetically operating upon a'plunger or armature 90. Current is supplied to the solenoid 88 whenever itis desired to lower and raise the shield plates 22 and 24 respectively and such cur- "9`5 rent is controlled by push buttons 92 or other suitable manually operated or automatically operated switches. It will be obvious'that instead of manual operation, automatic operation from a burglar alarm could be used. rlJO Different latch means and various types of actuating mechanism for the latch means can.

be used and various other changes maybe made without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention. It is therefore H35 my intention to cover in my appended claims all mechanically equivalent structures 4and the like which can be reasonably included ,within their scope.

I claim as my invention: Y Ci310 1. For use with a counter, successive shield plates therealong, some `of said shield plates being arranged therebelow and some being spaced thereabove7 said shield plates being f raisable and lowerable respectively from in- I:15 itial positions and constrained from their initial positions toward positions immediately above said counter, means for latching said shield plates Ain their initial positions comprisingv a, rock shaft extending along said C1`^20 Vcounter and positioned therebelow, latch lugs and latch hooks on said rock shafthaving lower surfacesV toengage said raisable 2. For use with a counter, successive shield plates therealong, vsome of said shield plates being arranged therebelow and some being spaced thereabove, said shield plates being raisable and lowerable respectively from initial positions and constrainedl from their initial positions toward positions immediately above said counter, means for latching said shield plates in their initialopositions comprising a rock shaft extending along said counter and positioned therebelow, a roller on each plate, latch lugs an'd latch hooks on said rock shaft having lower surfaces engaging said rollers on said raisable shield plates and upper surfaces engaging said rollers on said lowerable shield plates whereby said shield plates tend to balance each other relative to said rock shaft and manually controlled means for rocking Isaid rock shaft to disengage said latch lugs and latch hooks from said lrollers to thereby release said shield plates.

3. For use with a counter, a shield plate spacedthereabove, rods extending from said shield plate and through said counter, a cross barv connecting said rods together on the side of said'counter opposite said shield plate, means connected with said rods to constrain said shield plate toward said counter, means for latching said shield plate in position spaced from said counter comprising a rock shaft, a latch hook thereon engaging said cross bar and manually controlled means for rocking said rock shaft to disengage said latch hook from said cross bar.

Des Moines, Iowa, February 18, 1931.

CHARLES H. ROHRIG. 

